Raymond Gazelle Jr. is a CFP® professional with 19 years of experience, operating as the sole advisor at his independent firm, Raymond L. Gazelle Jr., since 2005. His background includes providing consulting services to small banks on internal operations and data processing. The firm offers comprehensive financial and investment planning services to individuals as well as corporate and nonprofit clients, frequently collaborating with financial officers or committees. It uses a long-term, strategic portfolio allocation approach focused on asset allocation, diversification, and mutual fund and ETF selection, delivering advice on a consultative, non-discretionary basis without managing client assets.

Katrina Riddick is the President and CEO of People First Financial Advisors with 31 years of industry experience. She holds Series 63 and Series 66 licenses and has worked with Percival Financial Partners and Faim Group Strategic Solutions Center. Her work includes providing financial advisory consulting to state and local governments on debt issuances and consulting for small and start-up minority-owned businesses. People First Financial Advisors is an independent, single-advisor firm that primarily serves government and quasi-government issuers, focusing on municipal financial advisory services such as structuring bond transactions and acting as a bidding agent for investments of bond proceeds. The firm provides non-discretionary advisory support and emphasizes a municipal-advisory focus with regulatory standing as a municipal advisor.

Christopher Oland is a financial advisor with Harmony Wealth Advisors, LLC in Edgewater, MD, holding Series 65 and Series 66 licenses and having nine years of industry experience. His prior work includes positions at Morgan Stanley, LPL Financial, and Wells Fargo Clearing. Outside of advising, he is a passive owner of a restaurant in Annapolis and serves as President of Southern Maryland Little League. Harmony Wealth Advisors, LLC provides portfolio management and financial planning services to individuals, pension and profit-sharing plans, corporations, and charitable organizations. The firm manages approximately $22 million in client assets and employs a non-discretionary investment approach based on cyclical and fundamental analysis combined with modern portfolio theory.

Jacolyn Wetmore is the principal advisor at JWC Capital Management, LLC, an independent firm based in Annapolis, MD. She holds Series 63 and Series 65 licenses and has 15 years of industry experience, including prior roles at United Income, Inc. and Calvert Investment Counsel. JWC Capital Management provides fee-based, individually tailored portfolio management services to individuals, qualified retirement plans, trusts, estates, and charitable organizations. The firm employs fundamental analysis and manager-level evaluation primarily with exchange-traded funds, mutual funds, exchange-listed securities, and corporate debt, offering both discretionary and non-discretionary management.

My path to founding a wealth management firm is different than most. As a child, my dream was to become a fighter pilot. After graduating from the United States Naval Academy with a degree in Aerospace Engineering, I achieved that goal, serving on active duty for a decade. I flew the F-18E Super Hornet from aircraft carriers and deployed multiple times to the Western Pacific. After those deployments, the Navy sent me to UNC Kenan-Flagler Business School to study finance, followed by the privilege of teaching undergraduate economics at my alma mater. After transitioning from active duty, I applied the skills I honed in the cockpit and classroom—leadership, effective communication, process improvement, and strategic decision-making—to multiple entrepreneurial ventures. My career as a financial planner is a natural extension of my passion for solving problems and serving others. With a background in engineering, military flight operations, top-tier business education, and collegiate economics instruction, I bring a unique perspective to wealth management: * Tenacity – Giving up is never an option. Just as a fighter pilot must persist in the air, I am relentless in helping my clients succeed. * Calm Under Pressure – I have a proven ability to think clearly in high-stakes situations, whether in the military or financial markets. I will not panic when volatility arises. * Candor – In aviation and life, speaking up is critical when the stakes are high. I will always provide honest advice, even when it’s uncomfortable. Living near Annapolis, Maryland, I cherish time with my family and enjoy Navy football, traveling, boating, and improving my golf game. I also continue to serve as a member of the U.S. Navy Reserves. Ventus Wealth Management — After a decade in the workforce, I became increasingly frustrated by the lack of financial services that truly met my needs. I couldn’t find a firm or advisor that offered the right combination of: ☑️A transparent fee and incentive structure ☑️ A flexible, client-focused service model ☑️ Modern technology solutions ☑️ Virtual meeting capabilities ☑️ Expertise tailored to my specific situation Recognizing this gap, I launched Ventus Wealth Management to address these shortcomings. Everything we do is designed with our clients in mind. Every element of our service and business model is intentionally crafted to deliver value and provide solutions that meet your needs.

Jeff Mitchell is the principal of JRM Capital Management Inc., an independent advisory firm based in Mitchellville, MD. He holds Series 63 and Series 65 licenses and has 27 years of industry experience. Prior to founding JRM Capital Management in 2003, he has been associated with Lifemark Securities Corp. since 2009. JRM Capital Management provides investment advisory and financial planning services to individual and institutional clients, including pension plans, trusts, and charitable organizations. The firm employs both fundamental and quantitative analysis to manage portfolios across various asset classes and offers specialized pension consulting services alongside unique engagement models such as performance-based fees and subscription publications.

Liz Yoder is the owner of Dependent Financial Planning, specializing in serving individuals with disabilities, their families and organizations that support and employ them nationwide. Her clientele ranges from those with high support needs to those requiring less intensive assistance. The company’s goal is to facilitate pathways toward greater independence and integration for individuals with disabilities through financial planning. After college, Liz resided in a L’Arche home, where she served as a live-in direct support provider and community member for adults with Intellectual and Development Disabilities (IDD), alongside four other caregivers. She spent her time in the community building relationships and learning from her housemates and the IDD advocate community. The experience fueled her determination to assist families and individuals with navigating the complexities of government benefits. Liz pursued certification as a CFP® professional to advocate on their behalf. Liz holds a B.A. in Speech Language Pathology and Audiology from Loyola University in Maryland. She received her CFP® designation in 2020. She also has received the designation of Chartered Special Needs Consultant or ChSNC®.

Andrea Brashears Sampson is a CFP® professional with 12 years of experience in financial planning. She is the principal of Wise Financial Counsel, LLC and has previously worked at West Financial Services, Inc., Wealthcare Financial Group, Inc., and Omega Wealth Management. Outside of financial advising, she serves as president of GIGS Music Productions, LLC, which promotes songwriting and music distribution, and WE R WISE, Inc., a nonprofit focused on networking and professional development. Wise Financial Counsel, LLC provides fee-only financial planning, counseling, and strategic business planning services to individuals, families, small-business owners, and corporations. The firm emphasizes written financial plans and ongoing counseling rather than asset management or specific securities recommendations, and it offers public seminars and workshops as part of its client services.

Julian Ball is the principal of Ball Wealth Management LLC in Owings, MD, holding the CFA® designation along with Series 63 and Series 65 licenses. He has 3 years of industry experience and has operated his independent advisory firm since 2004. Ball Wealth Management LLC is a single-advisor registered investment adviser providing discretionary portfolio management to individuals and various institutional clients, including qualified retirement plans, trusts, and corporate pension plans. The firm uses fundamental analysis and a long-term buy-and-hold investment approach, with continuous portfolio monitoring and customized investment policy statements for each client.

Gigi Mathews is a financial advisor at Artha Investments L.L.C. with a Series 65 designation and experience in various roles at Accenture, U.S. Financial Technology, and Hilton. Mathews has been with Artha Investments since 2019. Artha Investments L.L.C. provides discretionary portfolio management and individualized investment planning for individual and high-net-worth clients, focusing on a long-term, buy-and-hold strategy emphasizing U.S. and foreign equities, with bonds and REITs as secondary holdings. The firm requires the use of its recommended custodian and manages accounts on an individual basis.

Michael Bryant is a financial advisor at First Perspective Capital LLC with one year of industry experience. He has worked at Digital Realty, Inc. since 2014, where he currently oversees datacenter operations for a publicly traded real estate investment trust. First Perspective Capital LLC provides discretionary portfolio management, financial planning, and pension and employee benefit plan consulting to individuals, high-net-worth clients, and corporate entities. The firm employs multiple methods of analysis and generally implements long-term trading strategies under discretionary authority, offering pension consulting services that include manager selection, monitoring, and written plan documentation.

Michael Parks is a CFP® professional at Upraise Wealth Advisory, LLC with 12 years of industry experience. His prior roles include three years at Edward Jones, four years with Fidelity Personal & Workplace Advisors, seven years at Fidelity Investments, and a year at Merrill. Upraise Wealth Advisory, LLC is an independent, fee-only investment adviser serving individuals and high-net-worth clients with wealth management and project-based financial planning. The firm employs a mix of passive and active strategies focused on asset allocation and fundamental analysis, tailoring portfolios to client goals and risk tolerance.

Charles Ryan is a CFP® professional with 13 years of experience in financial advising. He is affiliated with Atlantic Financial Planning LLC and has a concurrent career at United Airlines since 1998. Atlantic Financial Planning LLC provides fee-only financial planning and investment advisory services to individual and family clients. The firm uses a goal- and risk-based process to recommend target asset allocations, primarily employing a long-term, buy-and-hold strategy with index funds and ETFs, and operates on an hourly engagement model without discretionary trading authority or custody of client assets.

Zaneilia Harris is a Certified Financial Planner® with 19 years of experience, currently serving as the sole advisor at Harris and Harris Wealth Management Group, LLC since 2009. She holds Series 63 and Series 65 licenses and engages in insurance sales and public speaking related to investments. Harris is also an author and participates in investment-related speaking engagements. Harris and Harris Wealth Management Group provides investment advisory and financial planning services to individuals, high-net-worth clients, trusts, estates, businesses, and retirement plans. The firm offers non-discretionary, fee-based portfolio supervision using fundamental and technical analysis, asset allocation guided by modern portfolio theory, and client education through workshops and retreats.

Jovan Jackson is a financial advisor at Good News Financial & Investment Advisors, LLC with five years of industry experience. He holds a Series 65 designation and has worked at multiple related firms, including Kingdom Wise Advisors LLC dba I Am The Bank LLC and Affordable Benefits Solutions Inc., where he is also an insurance agent. Good News Financial & Investment Advisors provides discretionary investment management, financial planning, and retirement-plan services to individuals, trusts, charitable organizations, and corporate clients. The firm offers ERISA-plan advisory services, uses sub-advisors and co-advisor arrangements for portfolio management, and conducts public seminars and workshops on financial topics.

Michael Barnes is a financial advisor at True North Advisory, LLC, an independent registered investment adviser. He holds Series 63 and Series 65 licenses and has 15 years of industry experience. Prior to founding True North Advisory in 2020, he was with Tlg Advisors, Inc. from 2013 to 2016. In addition to his advisory work, Barnes serves as a federal police officer with the U.S. Department of Homeland Security and operates a gun safety and permit eligibility training business. True North Advisory serves individual clients, trustees, corporations, and retirement plans, providing investment management, financial planning, retirement-plan consulting, participant education, and hourly consulting. The firm primarily uses third-party model platforms and operates on a non-discretionary, co-advisory basis, with a small client base and a focus on integrating technology such as AI for research and note-taking.

Freddie Cook is the managing member of Cook Wealth Management, LLC in Bowie, MD, with 14 years of industry experience. He holds the PFS™ designation and Series 63 and 66 licenses. Cook also operates Accurate Tax and Accounting Services, where he provides tax preparation, and is involved in insurance sales through Cook Financial Services, LLC. Cook Wealth Management, LLC is an independent advisory firm that offers financial planning and consulting, facilitating access to third-party portfolio managers rather than directly managing client assets. The firm primarily serves high-net-worth individuals and business entities, focusing on evaluating financial situations, recommending outside managers, and monitoring their performance.

Douglas Hayes is a financial advisor with Legacy Investing & Wealth Management LLC, holding a Series 65 designation and four years of industry experience. Prior to founding his firm in 2020, he worked at Rentokil from 2016 to 2020. Outside of advisory work, he owns and manages Legacy Development LLC, a company focused on residential real estate renovation and sales in the Washington, DC area. Legacy Investing & Wealth Management LLC provides discretionary asset management and packaged hourly financial advisory services to individuals and entities, including companies, trusts, estates, and charitable organizations. The firm emphasizes asset allocation and diversification using low-cost ETFs, periodic rebalancing, liquidity management, and selective hedging, serving both individual and institutional clients.

Stephen Cromwell is a financial advisor with Cromwell Investment Advisory, LLC, where he has worked since 2011. He holds a Series 66 designation and has 17 years of industry experience. In addition to his advisory role, he owns and operates Cromwell & Associates, LLC, a tax preparation and accounting business. Cromwell Investment Advisory, LLC provides investment supervisory services and financial planning primarily to individual clients. The firm combines portfolio management with integrated tax and accounting services, utilizing both charting and fundamental analysis to manage client assets directly through discretionary trading strategies.

David Ballard is a CERTIFIED FINANCIAL PLANNER™ (CFP®) with three years of industry experience, currently serving as the sole advisor at Champion Financial Planning Group, LLC. He has been associated with Champion Planning Group, LLC since 2003. Champion Financial Planning Group, LLC provides discretionary portfolio management and financial consulting primarily to individual and high-net-worth clients, focusing on tailored investment advice and ongoing account supervision. The firm employs a range of investment strategies including individual equities, corporate debt, government securities, ETFs, and mutual funds, supported by fundamental, technical, and cyclical analysis.